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Nepali

Indo-Aryan Languages

Nepali is the official and most widely spoken language of Nepal, where it also serves as a lingua franca. It is an Indo-Aryan language, belonging to the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family, native to the Himalayan region of South Asia.

Facts
ISO 639-3 Code
npi 1
Speaker Count
19,000,000 1
2011-2021 estimate, first-language speakers (14 million second-language speakers, 2021 census; 32 million total).
Status
Living 1
Region
Nepal 1
Partially Attested
Attested From (Year)
from 981 1
Approximate date: the Dullu inscription in Dailekh District is given as written around 981 CE, around the reign of King Bhupal Damupal.
Classification
Official Status
Official Language 1
Connections

In Family

Source Wikipedia: Nepali Language

Written In

Devanagari, Scripts
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Nepali Language
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section
    Nepali is the official and most-widely spoken language of Nepal, where it also serves as a lingua franca. It is an Indo-Aryan language, belonging to the Indo-Iranian branch within the Indo-European language family, native to the Himalayan region of South Asia.
  • Infobox, ISO 639-3
    npi
  • Infobox, Speakers (Total)
    L1: 19 million (2011-2021)
  • Lead section, first sentence, current use
    where it also serves as a lingua franca
  • Lead section, first sentence, place of use
    the official and most-widely spoken language of Nepal
  • History, earliest inscription
    The earliest known inscription in the Nepali language is believed to be an inscription in Dullu, located in Dailekh District, which was written around the reign of King Bhupal Damupal, around the 981 CE.
  • Official status, Nepali entity page
    Nepali is the official and most widely spoken language of Nepal, where it also serves as a lingua franca.
  • In Family: Indo-European, Infobox, Language family
    Top family: Indo-European; immediate branch: Indo-Aryan languages (Northern Zone, Eastern Pahari group).
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